All indications are that whatever befell the JESSIEMARIE was sudden. Reportedly, during a towing leg, while the two crew members on deck were jettisoning all bucket contents except the scallops dumped from a previous tow, and were shucking those, the owner/operator would proceed to the forecastle, especially at mealtime, and leave the helm unattended for short periods. Were the vessel to deviate from her course at such a time, the effect of the bucket being towed from the top of the A-frame on a port or starboard swing would greatly increase the chances of capsizing. The addition of a drum winch and other new fittings above the vessel's normal waterline would have affected considerably the vessel's intact stability. Without design stability data, the degree to which the additional weight would have affected the stability cannot be determined. The broadcast which was thought to have been a MAYDAY message heard over the FM band of a household radio in Lamaline was discounted. Radio communication specialists were very doubtful as to the possibility of such a transmission from a VHF channel 6 or channel 16 being received over a household radio unless there existed another independent frequency at the same transmission time which caused a net frequency output of 96 MHz. This possibility was believed to be highly unlikely. There were no other vessels known to be in the immediate area of the JESSIEMARIE nor did any vessel return from sea reporting or showing damage. Thus, collision could be ruled out as a possible cause of her disappearance. The absence of any debris having been found tends to lend credence to that conclusion. In the event of a fire on board, unless it was a major explosion, there normally would be time to transmit a distress call or to abandon ship. A major explosion would likely leave some debris. Similarly, were the vessel to have developed a leak, there normally would be time to transmit a distress message or abandon ship. Thus, the most probable cause is sudden capsizing and sinking. Similar incidents have been reported in the past. Survivors of these incidents attested to the suddenness of these occurrences. Had an EPIRB been on board and become activated when the vessel was in difficulty, the authorities would have been alerted and the probability of rescue would have increased. Although the vessel was carrying immersion suits located in the engine-room space and life-jackets located in the forecastle space, the one body, recovered from a beach on Miquelon some eight days after the last known contact with the vessel, was found unclad. There are several possible explanations for this situation but no proof of any is available. Having been recovered on French islands, the body was taken to the local hospital at Saint-Pierre, where death was attributed to drowning. No autopsy was performed.Analysis All indications are that whatever befell the JESSIEMARIE was sudden. Reportedly, during a towing leg, while the two crew members on deck were jettisoning all bucket contents except the scallops dumped from a previous tow, and were shucking those, the owner/operator would proceed to the forecastle, especially at mealtime, and leave the helm unattended for short periods. Were the vessel to deviate from her course at such a time, the effect of the bucket being towed from the top of the A-frame on a port or starboard swing would greatly increase the chances of capsizing. The addition of a drum winch and other new fittings above the vessel's normal waterline would have affected considerably the vessel's intact stability. Without design stability data, the degree to which the additional weight would have affected the stability cannot be determined. The broadcast which was thought to have been a MAYDAY message heard over the FM band of a household radio in Lamaline was discounted. Radio communication specialists were very doubtful as to the possibility of such a transmission from a VHF channel 6 or channel 16 being received over a household radio unless there existed another independent frequency at the same transmission time which caused a net frequency output of 96 MHz. This possibility was believed to be highly unlikely. There were no other vessels known to be in the immediate area of the JESSIEMARIE nor did any vessel return from sea reporting or showing damage. Thus, collision could be ruled out as a possible cause of her disappearance. The absence of any debris having been found tends to lend credence to that conclusion. In the event of a fire on board, unless it was a major explosion, there normally would be time to transmit a distress call or to abandon ship. A major explosion would likely leave some debris. Similarly, were the vessel to have developed a leak, there normally would be time to transmit a distress message or abandon ship. Thus, the most probable cause is sudden capsizing and sinking. Similar incidents have been reported in the past. Survivors of these incidents attested to the suddenness of these occurrences. Had an EPIRB been on board and become activated when the vessel was in difficulty, the authorities would have been alerted and the probability of rescue would have increased. Although the vessel was carrying immersion suits located in the engine-room space and life-jackets located in the forecastle space, the one body, recovered from a beach on Miquelon some eight days after the last known contact with the vessel, was found unclad. There are several possible explanations for this situation but no proof of any is available. Having been recovered on French islands, the body was taken to the local hospital at Saint-Pierre, where death was attributed to drowning. No autopsy was performed. The JESSIEMARIE was an uninspected vessel. The vessel neither was required by regulations to carry, nor did she carry, an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). No distress message from the vessel was heard. The JESSIEMARIE was not required by regulations to comply with the intact stability criteria requirements nor to carry a stability book on board. The vessel was known to roll quickly after she was rigged for scallop fishing. On a previous occasion, when the scallop bucket had become fouled on the sea-bed, the vessel's stern had been pulled under momentarily. The practice of towing from the top of the A-frame is considered dangerous. As none of the three crew members of the JESSIEMARIE survived the occurrence, andas there was no other observer in visual or radio contact with the fishing vessel, no direct information is available as to the manner in which the vessel disappeared.Findings The JESSIEMARIE was an uninspected vessel. The vessel neither was required by regulations to carry, nor did she carry, an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). No distress message from the vessel was heard. The JESSIEMARIE was not required by regulations to comply with the intact stability criteria requirements nor to carry a stability book on board. The vessel was known to roll quickly after she was rigged for scallop fishing. On a previous occasion, when the scallop bucket had become fouled on the sea-bed, the vessel's stern had been pulled under momentarily. The practice of towing from the top of the A-frame is considered dangerous. As none of the three crew members of the JESSIEMARIE survived the occurrence, andas there was no other observer in visual or radio contact with the fishing vessel, no direct information is available as to the manner in which the vessel disappeared. The exact cause of the disappearance of the JESSIEMARIE with her crew of three has not been determined.Causes and Contributing Factors The exact cause of the disappearance of the JESSIEMARIE with her crew of three has not been determined. Rigging for scallop fishing and the practice of towing on the JESSIEMARIE apparently adversely affected the vessel's period of roll and her stability. The crew members of the JESSIE MARIE, like many other crews on fishing vessels, may not have fully appreciated that their day-to-day operating procedures and practices were creating unsafe conditions. In its report on the sinking of the fishing vessel PACIFIC BANDIT (TSB Report No. M95W0005), the Board therefore recommended that: The Department of Transport, in conjunction with other government departments, agencies, and organizations, immediately undertake a national safety promotion program for operators and crews of small fishing vessels to increase their awareness of the effects of unsafe operating practices on vessel stability.Safety Action Taken Rigging for scallop fishing and the practice of towing on the JESSIEMARIE apparently adversely affected the vessel's period of roll and her stability. The crew members of the JESSIE MARIE, like many other crews on fishing vessels, may not have fully appreciated that their day-to-day operating procedures and practices were creating unsafe conditions. In its report on the sinking of the fishing vessel PACIFIC BANDIT (TSB Report No. M95W0005), the Board therefore recommended that: The Department of Transport, in conjunction with other government departments, agencies, and organizations, immediately undertake a national safety promotion program for operators and crews of small fishing vessels to increase their awareness of the effects of unsafe operating practices on vessel stability.